New England Patriots Seven Round Mock Draft 5.0

Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Troy Niklas (85) runs the ball against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Round Two, Pick 62: Troy Niklas (TE Notre Dame)

For a long time, I have felt that Troy Niklas is the best fit for the Patriots outside of Jace Amaro. Unless the Patriots were to move back into the middle of the second round, I don’t see Amaro as a legitimate option, unless they didn’t have the selection they were thinking they would get in round one. I have also talked a lot about what Niklas brings to the table in previous instalments of this piece, but I’ll reiterate some of them. He’s huge. He’s the tallest tight end in the draft, and is a solid 270 pounds. He’s a similar player to Gronk, so in his absence, or future absence is he succumbs to another injury, Niklas can step right in. Other than that, he’d just be another great weapon added to Tom Brady’s expanding arsenal. Niklas is my third ranked tight end behind Ebron and Amaro, getting him here could be great value.

Other Options: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, DE Marcus Smith, RB Carlos Hyde